At the first Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) – Toronto Chapter event of the year on January 15, a panel of CPRS members and thought leaders explored communication trends to watch for 2019. This year, we expanded the conversation on trends to the areas of Government Relations, Government Communications, Internal Communications and the Not-for-Profit Sectors.
The panel included:
- Kathleen Garrett, APR, Assistant Director Internal Communications, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
- Antonietta Mirabelli, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, Havergal College
- Steve Piazza, Communications and Media Relations Advisor, Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- Bryant Sullivan, APR, Assistant Director of Corporate Communications, Ontario Government’s Treasury Board Secretariat
The discussion focused on five key trends.
Trend 1: PR practitioners need to integrate data and data analysis
Bryant Sullivan said, “The more strategic we can be, the better we can serve our clients.” Data is a powerful way to generate insights and provide quantifiable measures. To create a culture change and become a data culture, PR practitioners can integrate various tools into their work. One such tool is the RACE formula. Looking forward, Artificial Intelligence will continue to grow at a rapid pace and place a greater importance on the need for data.
Trend 2: PR practitioners need to prepare for the unpredictable in the political landscape
Although not all PR practitioners work in public affairs, the political landscape impacts us all. It was a tumultuous 2018 and 2019 brings the Canadian federal election to the forefront. Steve Piazza stressed the importance of having your issue on the public agenda before policies are made.
Trend 3: PR practitioners don’t need to change the rules of engagement
As new trends begin to emerge, there is a tendency to jump on all the new ideas. However, Antonietta Mirabelli said you must not to lose focus on how your audience wants to receive the message. By understanding your audience, they feel heard by you. Antonietta Mirabelli said, “There is this pressure to have really great ideas all the time, but you just need to spend time with other people who are like-minded to find a good solution that works for your audience.”
Trend 4: PR practitioners need to be aware of how we share messages
Kathleen Garrett discussed the importance of internal communications and how it connects the dots for organizations, leading to improved performance and employee experience. When thinking about how to share messages with your audience, remember four key things. First, find opportunities for convergence among multiple messages so you don’t overwhelm the audience. Second, flag collisions between projects. This can help prevent overload. Third, have a pulse on employee sentiment and reason. Finally, predict and report on the message conveyance through data.
Trend 5: Storytelling is still paramount to PR
All of the panelists agreed on the importance of storytelling. Storytelling is the perfect way to maximize the impact in minimal time. Bryant Sullivan made a great point when he said, “Storytelling isn’t trendy, it’s timeless.”
This CPRS Toronto communications trends panel is the second annual, hosted by the local chapters president(s) with panelists made up of thought-leading chapter members.
By Meg Sharpley CPRS Toronto Volunteer